Ammunition projectile



p 1968 R. MALTER AMMUNITION PROJECTILE Filed Oct. 20, 1965 INVENTOR. RICHARD L. MALTER BY ATTORNEYS 3,400,660 AMMUNITION PROJECTILE Richard L. Malter, 620 Reiss Place, Bronx, N.Y. 10467 Filed Oct. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 498,333 14 Claims. (Cl. 102--42) The main object of this invention is to provide a single or multiple projectile loading for ammunition, usually of the shotshell variety for smoothbore guns, but, also, for pistols, rifles and artillery ammunition used in rifled bore guns, which is capable of being distorted either temporarily or permanently into an aerodynamic or streamlined profile at muzzle and useful range velocities.

As is well known in the art, shotshell projectiles do not have gyroscopic stability since they do not spin in flight. Also, it is well known in the art, shot charges are made practical in ammunition where a rifled bore is present by not utilizing the rifled bore. This projectile is meant to be used in ammunition where gyroscopic stabilizing means are not available or, if available, are not to be utilized.

Projectiles of this type, as a result of streamlining in flight, will have a greater effective range and a shorter ineffective range. As is well understood in this art, the effective range of a projecticle is during the period when it retains adequate accuracy and' energy, and the ineffective range is when it has lost either or both adequate accuracy and energy to do the job it was intended to do.

In shotshell ammunition the eflective range may be 40 to 60 yards out of a total or maximum range of from 200 to 600 yards.

In accordance with this invention the effective range of single or multiple shotshell projectiles using elastic or malleable projectiles can be at least doubled while the total as well as the ineffective range can be reduced appreciably. It is obvious that the reduction of the total and ineffective ranges increases the safety within which such ammunition can be used in populated areas.

In accordance with this invention the projectiles for shotshell pellets can be made of elastic material such as natural and synthetic rubber, for example, Buna A and Buna N, neoprene and dibutyl thiolate, either alone or in admixture with other metallic or non-metallic powders to control their density and weight. In addition, these materials can be molded as a casing for the usual lead pellets used in shotshell.

Recognizing that the muzzle velocity of a shotgun is approximately 1,000 miles per hour, well above the speed of sound, it will be recognized that elastic materials will be deformed into aerodynamic shapes, roughly defined as the teardrop form. As such projectiles slow down and move into their inefiective range the distorting forces are proportionately reduced and the elastic projectiles return substantially to their original shape gradually increasing the drag thereon and thereby rapidly decelerating them. These advantages can also be obtained if the elastic composition is in the form of a shell enclosing the usual metal pellet, most commonly made of lead but at times of iron or brass and the like.

It will be understood that the elastic portion of the projectile in accordance with this invention may be hard to the touch and is only deformable to a streamline shape at very high velocities.

The admixture of :a low weight by volume of elastic material, reduces the specific gravity of the projectile; therefore, when not distorted, after efiective range velocities, the drag per volume of the elastic pellets is increased, as compared to conventional pellets, permitting a shorter total range than is possible with non-elastic projectiles.

It is also within the scope of this invention to use malleable materials either of metal or plastic which are nited States Patent Patented Sept. 10, 1968 permanently deformed into streamlined contour at muzzle velocities. While such projectiles do not reform to their original shape they, like the elastic projectiles, are nevertheless an improvement over the usual fixed form pellets in that their streamlined form makes them more stable and less likely to stray from a correct line of flight.

Elastic and malleable projectiles are not permanently deformable by acceleration stress, as are conventional pellets, and are more accurate because of this.

Referring now to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a typical shotshell showing the pellet loading part in cross section;

FIGURES 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A together show sequentially one form of resilient projectile in accordance with this invention at rest, in flight in the effective range and its gradual return to original shape in the ineffective range;

FIGURES 1B, 2B, 3B and 4B are similar views of a modification of the projectile of the preceding figures;

FIGURES 1C, 2C, 30 and 4C are corresponding views of a resilient projectile having a powder impregnated body;

FIGURES 1D and 2D are diagrammatic views of a malleable projectile; and

FIGURES 1E, 2E, 3E and 4E show another form of projectile comprising a combination of the projectiles of FIGURES 1A and 1C.

The usaual reloadable shotshell 10 comprises a casing 12, within which the powder charge and detonator are mounted. At the discharge end of the casing 12 is a cup 14 of paper, plastic or suitable material which contains the pellets 16 comprising the loading. As is well understood these pellets are usually small spheres of lead or other suitable metal.

In accordance with this invention, in the first series of figures the pellet 16:: comprises a small metal sphere 18 enclosed within a resilient casing 20 of natural or synthetic rubber of any suitable elastomer. At muzzle and effective range velocities as indicated in these figures, the elastic casing 20 takes on an approximate teardrop or streamlined formation during the effective range and then as it slows down and comes to a stop in the ineffective range it begins to return to original form, see FIG. 3A and ultimately does return to original form as illustrated in FIG. 4A.

In the modification of the next, or 113 series, the main difierence is that the resilient capsule or casing 20a of the pellets 16b encloses a plurality of small metal pellets or spheres 18a. A similar initial deformation with a gradual return to original form is indicated in the remaining figures in this group.

In the 1C series no metal pellets are used. In this case the spherical pellet comprises an elastic body 20b impregnated with a metal powder 18b to increase the density or specific gravity of the composition. Here, as before, at high velocities an aerodynamic form results which gradually returns to original form with high drag as the projectiles move into their inefi'ective range and come to a stop.

Passing to the 1E series of figure first, the pellets 16e comprise a metallic spherical pellet 18 encased in a shell 20 comprising a resilient material which is impregnated with a metal powder 18b.

FIGURE 2B shows an aerodynamic form of this projectile at muzzle velocity while FIGURES 3E and 4E show the gradual return of the metal impregnated resilient casing to original form as the projectile slows down in the inelfectual range.

Returning to FIGURES 1D and 2D there is illustrated here a spherical pellet 16d which could be used as a shotshell load. The body 20c of this sphere is made of any suitable malleable material, natural or synthetic, metallic or non-metallic material soft enough to be deformed at muzzle and effective range velocities as indicated in FIG.

2D. This resulting streamlined form will be retained throughout the flight of the projectile since the body, being malleable, will not return to original form.

It is within the contemplation of this invention that the malleable form of this projectile body may have imbedded therein the various supplements used with the elastic forms as previously described. Thus, the malleable body 200 could be used to encase a single sphere 18, a plurality of spheres 18a or be impregnated with a dust 18b of either lesser or greater density than that of the malleable material.

It is intended, therefore, that the forms of the invention illustrated in the drawing be taken in a representative sense, it being understood that the scope of invention is not to be limited thereto but determined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A shotshell having a plurality of pellets, each of said pellets having a body comprising a deformable material means having an initial configuration, which is essentially other than teardrop and which transforms into an improved teardrop shape when in free flight through the atmosphere at velocities corresponding to the effective range.

2. In the article of claim 1 said body material means being resilient.

3. In the article of claim 1 said body material means being malleable.

4. In the article of claim 1 said body material means encasing a sphere of different material.

5. In the article of claim 1 said body material means encasing a metal sphere.

6. In the article of claim 1 said body material means encasing a plurality of metal spheres.

7. In the article of claim 1 said body material means being resilient and impregnated with a powder of different density.

8. In the article of claim 1 said body material means being resilient and impregnated with-a metal powder.

9. In the article of claim 1 said body material means being resilient and encasingat least one metallic sphere.

10. An ammunition cartridge casing having a projectile body comprising a deformable material means having an initial configuration which is essentially other than teardrop and which transforms into an improved teardrop shape when in free flight. through the atmosphere at velocities corresponding to the effective range.

11. In the article of claim 10, said deformable material means encasing one or more pellets.

12. In the article of claim 10, said deformable material means being resilient and encasing one or more pellets.

1.3. In the article of claim 10, said deformable material being malleable and encasing at least one pellet of a different material.

14. In the article of claim 10, said deformable material :means being malleable and impregnated with a powder of a different material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,593,637 4/1952 Weldin 1024l 2,772,634 12/1956 Oberfell 1O242 2,820,412 1/1958 Beeuwkes, et al. 10291 X 2,919,647 1/1960 Dear et a1. 102-42 2,306,140 12/1942 Reed 10293 FOREIGN PATENTS 570,609 2/1959 Canada. 1,175,116 7/1964 Germany.

715,565 9/ 1954 Great Britain.

ROBERT F. STAHL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SHOTSHELL HAVING A PLURALITY OF PELLETS, EACH OF SAID PETTELS HAVING A BODY COMPRISING A DEFORMABLE MATERIAL MEANS HAVING AN INITIAL CONFIGURATION, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY OTHER THAN TEARDROP AND WHICH TRANSFORMS INTO AN IMPROVED TEARDROP SHAPE WHEN THE FREE FLIGHT THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE AT VELOCITIES CORRESPONDING TO THE EFFECTIVE RANGE. 